Science Competitions for Kids to Enter
Science Competition for Kids Number One – The Toy Challenge
The Toy Challenge is a competition that is held each year that encourages kids in grades 5 through 8 to develop their own toy. This is a team event and each Toy Challenge team must be made up of between three and six students and one adult mentor/coach. Teams can choose to design a toy or game in one of the following categories: toys that teach, games for the family, and get out and play. The Toy Challenge offers a variety of prizes at its various levels. Awards and prize packages will be given to the winners in the following categories: team spirit, originality, engineering, design, educational value, inspirational value, presentation, and best adaptable for groups with special needs. A grand prize will also be awarded to the top scoring team. In the past this award has been a special trip to a science themed destination like NASA’s Kennedy Space Center.
If you are interested in the Toy Challenge you will need to establish your Toy Challenge Teams and submit your initial entry by January 26. In early March the finalists will be notified of their standings and be invited to the nationals. The National Toy Challenge will be held in April or May. For entry forms and additional information about this competition you can visit the Toy Challenge Website located at http://www.toychallenge.com/forms.shtml.
Science Competition for Kids Number Two – Internet Science and Technology Fair
Another science competition that is open to kids is the Internet Science and Technology Fair. This competition is designed to encourage students to explore information technology resources and apply it to real world situations. This program runs from October of each year to February of each year. To participate in this program, teachers or team leaders will need to access the Content and Format Guidelines page on the ISTF website. A link to this page can be found at http://isf.ucf.edu/Tools/. Enrollment for this year’s program will begin in September and end at the end of November. The first team progress report will be due in mid January, and the final project will need to be submitted by the last day of February. Judging will then take place in March and April and the winning teams will be announced by the end of the school year. If you have questions about this science competition you can contact the Program Director, Bruce Furino at director@istf.ucf.edu.
Science Competition for Kids Number Three – Tech Xplore
Tech Xplore is a science competition designed for students from Kindergarten through 12th grade. To participate in this competition, project leaders will need to sign up first. After signing up as a project leader you will be given information about the competition and coaching instructions. Next you will need to put together your team and register that team for the competition and you will need to also register your team project idea. Finally you will need to manage your project online until the final project is submitted. If you would like more information about how this competition works, what is involved, and what benefits student can gain from this experience please visit the Tech Xplore website located at http://www.techxplore.org, or contact them via one of the following contact methods:
TechXplore Program Office
National Science and Technology Education Partnership
2500 Wilshire Blvd.
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 907-7400 phone number
(703) 907-7401 fax number
TechXplore@nationalstep.org
